The First Punic War’s brief, condensed history will demonstrate that the Romans wanted in but the Carthaginians held it.
To do this, they engaged in a protracted conflict with their adversaries for control of the western Mediterranean for more than 20 years.
To secure their final success, the Romans lied, tricked, robbed, looted, and stole their way through the struggle, but they also learned, innovated, found new philosophies, and put them into practice along with new ideas, methods, and tactics.
As an example, Carthage was the dominant seafaring country of the time, and it derived its riches from commerce by dominating the sea lanes that linked Europe. Rome, on the other hand, had almost no fleet.
However, the Romans were quick to examine the Carthaginian quinquereme that had washed up on the Italian coast, acquire its secrets, and disassemble the battleship. Even though they were inexperienced shipwrights and at best mediocre sailors, they managed to build 120 of the five-oared ships in a matter of months.
The point is that at the end of it all, the Romans were the undeniable regional authority, and no one dared to oppose them.
This is what came to mind following the most recent Formula One issue, for some reason. Red Bull has, in effect, “cheated” this season to remain ahead of the pursuing pack by exceeding the expense limit that is designed to keep everyone on an equal keel.
Even while it may just be a “small overspend,” it is undoubtedly hurting F1’s reputation right now and undermining the idea that Max Verstappen is a deserving world champion, which he is.
The Age of Lewis Hamilton has ended and the Age of Verstappen has started, despite the questionable methods used to achieve this. No one has the authority to reverse this shift in power dynamics.
Who can blame F1 fans for having such little trust in the FIA at the moment? The association is not the most open organization overall, and at times its interpretation and application of their own rules and regulations is as plain as mud.
Red Bull and Verstappen may be stripped of their titles or at least have points deducted from their records, which is the most likely outcome, but it’s also possible that a secret agreement, such to the one reached with Ferrari in 2019, may result in a less penalty.
Such is the FIA’s present meekness. They ought to get the most severe punishment imaginable, but they won’t. Yes, some did try, but in the end they failed.
Red Bull is without a doubt the dominant power in the sport right now, despite the recent disappointment. They may have achieved their goal by dubious methods, but they have also worked very hard.
Hegemony is transient, but regardless of how they got there, I believe it is fair to say that we should get accustomed to them dominating for the foreseeable future since no one, not even the FIA, is able to stop them.
Whether you like him or not, Verstappen is the face of the new era.